Budget Tip of the Day: Drilled Pumpkins

If you as challenged as I am when it comes to carving pumpkins, you will love this decorating idea. Use a power drill instead of a knife to create the perfect design. Just drill holes of any size into the pumpkin. It’s that simple. Now this is my kind of pumpkin carving! Here are a few ideas to get you going.

Isn’t this a great looking topiary?

Image via Southern Living

I found this one at The Crafty Nest. She popped a water filled vase into the pumpkin with daisies and used glow sticks to light it up inside. Pretty cool huh!

Image via Good Housekeeping

Budget Tip of the Day: Dressed Up Pumpkins

Have a little fun with your pumpkins by giving them each a costume of their own to show off. All you need are a few accessories and some floral pins to put these together. For the witch, use green Spanish moss for the hair and and top it with a hat. Use black foam core to make wings for the bat and shredded cheesecloth for the mummy. A bandanna, eye patch, and hat make the perfect pirate. Just secure each item with floral pins or hot glue and you’re good to go. You should be able to find most of these items at a craft or grocery store. What a fun display of characters to greet all those trick or treaters on Halloween night!

Budget Tip of the Day: Pumpkin Topiaries

Pumpkin stacks or topiaries are so easy and fun to make. It’s as simple as stacking them on top of each other and securing with a little hot glue. Look for pumpkins with flat bases for easier stacking. Cut the stem off the bottom and middle pumpkins. Carve each one or leave as is. Secure pumpkins with a little hot glue between layers. To light up carved pumpkins, carve a hole in the bottom of the middle and top pumpkins and run a strand of lights through the stack. Carve an additional hole near the base of the bottom pumpkin so the cord can reach an outlet. Here are some more fun and creative ideas to get you going.

Image via The Pleasures of Homemaking

Budget tip of the Day: Decoupaged Fall Leaves

I decided to change the theme this week specifically to pumpkins and give you a bunch more fall decorating ideas next week. Here is an easy way to decorate a pumpkin that doesn’t require any carving–just my kind of thing (let’s just say I’m not a very skilled pumpkin carver). You can use the beautiful fall leaves to spice up a plain pumpkin.

Here is what you’ll need:

Pumpkin

Leaves

Mod Podge

Foam Brush

Brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the pumpkin where you want to place your leaf. Then brush a thin layer of Mod Podge on the back side of the leaf and adhere to the pumpkin. Once dry, brush another thin layer over the top of the leaf. Simple and beautiful!

Welcome to Budget Wise Home

I'm Heidi Smith, an interior designer and mom to 3 cute boys. This blog is dedicated to saving you money and helping you realize that it's possible to have a beautiful home on a very tight budget. Thanks so much for stopping by![Read More …]